It's astonishing how few people realise this, but one of the standout highlights of a trip to Beijing is a visit to one of the city's fabulous parks. Lonely Planet author Daniel McCrohan has lived there for more than six years. This is his Top-10 hitlist of Beijing's very best parks. The info and photos featured here are taken from his new iPhone App, Beijing on a Budget.
Jingshan Park
Dominated by a forested hill on top of which you can gaze out over golden-tiled rooftops of the magnificent Forbidden City, Jingshan Park is also dotted with ancient cypres tr
Temple of Heaven Park
Historically significant, this huge park was where the emperor and his enormous entourage, would travel to each year to perform sacrifices in the hope that the gods wo
Beihai Park
Originally dating from the 10th century, Beihai means 'Northern Sea', on account of the huge lake that makes up most of the park.
Temple of Sun Park
The altar, once a place for imperial sacrifices, is now little more than a raised platform, but the surrounding park is beautifully landscaped and a popular city-centre e
Houhai Lakes
Strictly speaking this isn't a park, but it kind of becomes one during Beijing's long hard winter when the three lakes which make up the Houhai area freeze over, provid
Temple of Earth Park
Far less popular than its southern cousin, Temple of Heaven Park, it's rare to see foreign tourists in this large space, but it makes for a pleasant stroll if you&#
Chaoyang Park
There's nothing historical about this park constructed in the 1980s, but it is central Beijing's largest green space and it offers great opportunities for picnics, kit
Ming City Walls Ruins Park
This narrow strip of a park contains one of the few remaining stretches of Beijing's once formidable city walls.
Taoranting Park
Although there are a handful of Buddhist relics inside a recently rebuilt ancient nunnery that once stood here, Taoranting, constructed in 1952, is certainly no historical h
Qingnianhu Park
A locals' favourite in the summer time, this otherwise ordinary park has a wildly popular outdoor swimming pool with three water slides in the main pool and a smattering
